A Frozen Lotus
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Sometimes the coldest of hearts can only be thawed by the blackest of souls. A chance encounter with a certain kitsune leaves Mizore wondering, is it really so painful to be alone? Takes place during year one. NarutoxMizore. Lemons! Fluff!
1. Misery and Company

_What can you see in their eyes?_

_In defeat, I can see their demise._

_Even though, not a blow has been struck as they have to fight._

_Like the wind, far too strong to resist._

_There is nowhere to hide._

_From the force that will tear them apart and banish their souls._

**_What can you see in their eyes._**

It was dark in the garden. She could hear the low babbling of a stream and the sooting cascade of the rain, but otherwise, all was still. She crouched, bent double, pulling her knees deep into her chest, and wept, here, in her garden of ice. She curled herself into a ball and wished that the world would just go away. It would be better if everything, if everyone would just perish, and become buried under a perfect blanket of snow white ice.

But then she would be alone.

To be alone was to be wretched. To be be wretched was to be lonely. To be lonely was to despair. To despair was to thrust one's self into the deepest, darkest throes of their own misery and wallow in it forever. Misery loved company, this was true, but no one loved Shirayuki Mizore. No one understood Shirayuki Mizore. Of this, Shirayuki Mizore was absolutely, postively certain. Tsukune didn't understand her. He'd rejected her. Rejected. Her. Just like everyone else.

"I'm alone." She whispered softly to herself, repeating the words as though they were a mantra. "I'm wretched."

"So you know how it feels, then." A clear voice rang out just beyond her vision. "To be alone?"

**"!"**

She half-turned, her eyes growing wide and large as she realized she was not entirely as alone as she had initially surmised. There standing in the clearing, was a boy. He was a thin, gaunt looking thing, his platinum blond hair rough and disheveled in places, matted down in others. At first, she thought he might be human, and the thought filled her with absolute dread.

Then she saw his face.

Whisker marks tripled each cheek. His eyes were slanted, impossibly so, narrowed to little more than sapphiric slits. In place of human ears, which were nowhere to be found, furry ones poked through the curtain of blond that shaded his face, startlingly orange. She gasped. True, his clothes were little more than rags, but her attention was drawn to his backside, and what lurked within the shadows there.

One, two, three...nine.

_Nine._

Emerging from just below his battered jeans, nearly as large as he was tall, were nine tails of crimson fur, lashing at the air behind him. Clutched in one such tail was the body of Kotsubo Okuto. She stiffened, a pang of despair arching through her spine, into the very depths of her soul. That man! She loathed him! She abhored him! He was the one who'd made her so wretched! Mizore wanted to scream, to cast herself herself aside, away from him, away from the both of them, but then she saw something else.

The ruined state of his form.

One eye was completely swollen shut. The other looked to be well on its way. Beyond that, his entire face was a gigantic human pristine white sweat-suit he always wore was no longer even remotely clean. Streaked with blood in places and ravaged in others, deep slashes had been carved into his upper torso, ending with his right sleeve, torn away from the rest, along with most of his right arm.

What kind of strength that must have demanded of such a being! What kind of youkai could possibly command such power? What youkai, she wondered, looked so fierce and yet felt so sad, as one and the same? Momentarily forgetting her misery, she gawped up at he who had smote her former tormentor, and was stricken speechless. Of course! It was all so ridiculously obvious!

_Kitsune._

A kitsune, she realized. One of the most powerful demon classes to ever exist, rivaled only by that of the vampire and werewolf. She stared at him and he her, his eyes blank, those windows to his soul, hollow. It was almost as if someone had reached deep inside him and snuffed out the fire in his heart. Such a thing was completely unheard of, of course, but, judging by the emotionless mask that was his face, she guessed that her metaphor couldn't be all that far off the mark.

"I'm alone too." He whispered, shattering the silence between them. "I've always been."

_"Nani?"_

"I'm alone, too." The boy muttered, whisking one hand through his hair. "I've always been alone." His ears twitched and he shuddered, not entirely from the cold. Of the nine tails that swayed behind him, three wrapped themselves around his frame; sheltering him from the cold. The fourth twitched suddenly, and Kotsubo was viciously cast back to the ground, groaning as his forehead became intimate with the frozen soil in a way that no self-respecting youkai wanted.

Kotsubo groaned, still trapped somewhere between his human form, and that of his youkai, a kraken. He struggled to rise and the boy's boot struck the side of his head with a resounding _thwack_ that spoke of utter finality. His head lolled to the side and stayed there, unbroken, but unconcious. The sight of her tormentor, brought low by such the boy who spoke in single-word-sentences, brought an astounding flood of relief to her eyes.

"You're...alone?" She blinked, the tears freezing over in her eyes for a moment. Then she blinked them away. He was like her. That same, distant look in his eyes. One of longing of loneliness, and perhaps even...despair? Mizore couldn't be sure, not without getting closer. So that was exactly what she did. Much to her charign_-or elation-_he didn't so much as flinch.

"Yes." He stated simply. She recognized the battered green jacket slung over his shoulders, the sole article of clothing that identified him as a student of Youkai Academy. She had never seen him before-surely Mizore would have remembered such a face-and she surmised that he must be a freshman, at the least. A thin reed remained locked within his teeth as he stared down at her, this little ice imp who invaded his personal space, this yuki-onna who professed to be in such trauma, such pain.

He chewed on the thin reed for a moment longer before speaking again.

"You're crying." He announced suddenly, as though the frozen tracks of moisture upon her cheeks were not proof enough of her sorrow. "Has someone upset you?" Mizore had to choke down her rising gorge, swallow a sob, and take a deep breath before she could find the strength to speak. Too late, she found herself trapped within that granite gaze of pure flint; caught between a rock and a hard place.

"If its pains you to answer, then I will not ask you again." He continued, lacking in any emotion whatsoever. "However," Here his gaze slipped to the withered form of Kotsubo, "I would suggest that you avoid this one. I caught him creeping upon you in the bushes." He let the statement hang, unadorned between them. Its meaning was all too clear; stay away from this man, Mizore, for he would do you harm.

For a moment, there was silence.

Here, the sun struggled to shine, coating the track and field in a grey, overcast tint. Birds no longer sang. The fountain no longer tinkled, and there was none of the hubbub of normal everyday school life. Stands were set out, but there were no students hurrying this way or that, talking excitedly, bartering for lunch. Just an eerie..._nothingness. _Cold, despite her native element, it occurred to Mizore that Kotsubo-sensei might need medical attention, but then that thought too was wisked away, as she stared into the glassy eyes of this strange kitsune.

_'His eyes...are like mine.'_

Impossible.

To know loneliness was to know pain. To know pain was to suffer. She'd known this all of her life. She'd suffered. But here was a being who had suffered a fate far worse than she. Although his heart still pumped life-blood through his veins, his eyes were dead. He'd been hollowed by something in this lifetime of his, and, though she couldn't claim to know the lifespan of a Kitsune, that expression of his evoked as strange emotion deep within her breast.

She pitied him.

Here was an individual who knew true loneliness. Mizore knew not what trauma had scared this boy so, as to take away his emotions, but whatever it was, it made the trauma that she had suffered through, feel like a summer breeze. She had only to look into his eyes_-when had they become red-_to know that he spoke the truth. Without speaking so much as a word, he simply stared down at her, and spoke volumes.

Mizore swallowed.

_'Such a powerful aura..._

It took all of her willpower not to flinch away. Showing fear to a kitsune would only make things worse. They were notoriously proud creatures, though this one didn't look as if he had even a scrap of such a sentiment. Regardless, she had no intention to irk such a powerful youkai. And still the sight of him plucked at her heartstrings. It stirred at her, prodding something, deep within her frozen heart.

What could be the harm in sharing her pain with him?

It wasn't as if her heart could become anymore broken than it already was. Tsukune had certainly made sure of that now, hadn't he? The thought sent a tide of self-loathing through her breast. She'd just worked up the courage to speak when the strange student spoke again, silencing Mizore before she could have a chance to voice her pent up emotions.

"Sumimasen." He sighed softly, all nines of his tails unfurling as one and drawing against his back. "I apologize for disturbing you, then." he bowed then, his forehead kissing hers for the briefest moment_-intentional or otherwise remained to be seen-_performed a sudden about face and began to walk away. He'd made it no more then three paces before he felt something slowing him, preventig him from advancing any further.

_"Wait." _It was an incredibly small sound, her voice, and he took no notice of it.

Until her hand closed around his wrist.

He spun, his eyes widened, alarmed.

Mizore had just enough time to experience the briefest sensation of satisfaction. This kitsune wasn't quite as emotionless as he let on. Surprise, anger, confusion, grief, and sorrow, all these emotions and more flickered across his features for must've felt like an eternity. Then he scowled and it became all to clear which had won out amongst its bretheren and asserted its dominance.

"Cold."

**_"?"_**

"Your hand is cold." He mused softly, staring down at her fingers, clasped now within his own. "You are_...a yuki-onna."_

Mizore deflated like a punctured balloon.

_'Its just like before. Just like..._

She felt her hopes sinking like a stone. Rejection washed over her for the second time that day, sweeping her up in the current, dragging her beneath the surface. He may as well have reached inside her chest and crushed her heart, for all the damage he'd done. She willed her hand to release his but her arm not only refused the command, but her grip grew even more taut than before.

"Do you expect me to run?" the blond asked, perplexity worming its way through his expression. She froze, and not in the literal sense. He was actually serious. He didn't try to run; he didn't have the slightest glimmer of fear in those glassy orbs of sapphire and scarlet. How? How could he not fear her, how could he not reject her when all others had?

How?

"Naruto." He spoke suddenly.

"M-Mizore," she mumbled, reflexively spouting her name in response.

She wasn't at all prepared for his answer.

"You can cry if you wish, Mizore-san." The boy known as Naruto gave her a sorrowed glance. "I know how it feels."

"W-What do you know?" She spluttered, wide-eyed at such a statement.

"More than you think." He answered. "I've spent my entire life amongst humans. What you're feeling now, the pain of rejection...well, lets just say that I've taken that one in spades, shall we?" Here his stony expression faltered, replaced by a sheepish smile, suggesting just how young he really was. Despite the menacing appearance, it was almost believable, almost...adorable.

Almost.

"I swear I won't say a word."

"W-What?" The statement caught her flat-footed. She hadn't the foggiest as to how she should respond. He'd just given her his name! She couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly, she was sobbing. Suddenly, strong arms encircled her. Suddenly, she was being embraced. She was drawn into utter warmth. It was not painful. It was soft. Comforting, as if all of her fears and anxieties were being systematically obliterated; leaving her soul scoured clean.

Weightless, impossible, miraculous-no, there were no words for how she felt in that instant.

For want of anything but that, she suddenly found herself capable of breathing again. _Strange._ Here she was spouting gibberish to a stranger she scarcely even knew. And yet she had a broken rib not five minutes before? Really, hadn't he? He was holding her. She could smell him. Not him precisely; rather, the silky sweet scent of her perfume, as it seeped into her own nostrils, but there was something else, another scent. It was not an unpleasant aroma. When next her eyes did open, she could see him _right there,_ so close to her, that he almost seemed a part of her, wrapped as she was within the warmth of his tails.

She had no way of knowing the amount of time that passed. Only that she cried until she could cry no more. He said nothing to her the entire time. He, a stranger_-a stranger-_simply held her until she'd cried her fill and emptied her sorrow into his shoulder. She was unable to believe the absurdity of it. She'd bawled her eyes out in front of an utter stranger and she felt no worse for the wear for it.

"Shirayuki-san!"

Dimly, she heard a voice.

He released her, and stepped away.

"It seems your friends are coming." He turned a glance aside, and, sure enough, Tsukune was indeed approaching. Mizore turned away from the briefest of instant, registering their approach as they neared her position. For an instant, just an instant, she turned away from he who had comforted her. A deep green glow illuminated the corners of her vision for that instant.

"See you in class."

And in a spool of foxfire, he was gone.

That was the day that she first met Uzumaki Naruto.

**A/N: Mwahaha! Naruto in the Rosario Vampire universe! As you can tell, the pairing is predominately NarutoxMizore! ENJOY! And don't forget to review until my ears fall off! Although, being a skeleton, I have no ears...SKULL JOOOOKE! YOHOHOHO!**


	2. Taken As I Am

**_Taken as I am_**

After that day, thoughts of him consumed her every waking moment. Even in her dreams, she could seek no shelter from him, or his words. _See you in class,_ he had said those words her, before vanishing in a spool of fox-fire. Was that meant to imply that he in fact, attended Yokai Academy? If this was how it felt to have a crush on someone, to truly, truly possess feelings for them and think of nothing but them, then Mizore was doomed to crush on him.

Whatever would mother say?

She hadn't expected this. She hadn't planned for this, any of it.

Try as she might, she just couldn't stop thinking_-crushing-_on Uzumaki Naruto.

He was just like her. He understood. _He cared,_ when no one else could be bothered to care. It had only been twenty-four hours since she'd seen him last, since she'd been left with the eerie promise that she'd "see him in class", this boy whom she had never known to exist until only yesterday. She remembered it, that subtle smile; the one that did not quite reach his eyes, that confident, self-assured voice that promised her that everything would be alright, and an invisible chill shuddered down her spine.

Oh, how she _wanted_ to see him again!

But would she? prospect of seeing him once more sent a silent trill of anticipiation coursing down her spine.

To understand was to know. To know was to care. To care was to love. To love was to be happy. Truly, utterly, blissfully happy. _Kami!_ How could he evoke such warmth within her, this kitsune known as Uzumaki Naruto? He was so cold, and yet so very, very warm. His was a warmth that Mizore never wanted to forget. And how could she? Ordinarily she shied away from warmth, freezing the pain away before she could be harmed.

But his warmth was a gentle one.

She'd seen empathy in his eyes that day. He was a kindred spirit, if it was possible for a yuki-onna to have such a thing. Ever since that day, he'd been all but inescapable to her, at least in thought. She both cherished and dreaded the thought of seeing him again. The loneliness, the sadness in his eyes, it was a mirror image of her own. But now that she had managed to make at least one friend, she couldn't help but to wonder...

...know that he knew, would he even deign to reciprocate her feelings?

She couldn't bring herself to think of what might happen. Thus, she stayed in her seat, and tried her utmost to concentrate on the teacher's lesson.

"Everyone!" Nekonome-sensei chimed in pleasantly. "Please give a warm welcome to our newest student...

Mizore gawped.

...Uzumaki Naruto!" Their teacher finished.

_Its him,_ Mizore thought, amazed. _Even I can feel it._

Gone were the tattered rags of yesterday, and gone were the signs of his transformation. Without the rips and tears in his jacket he looked almost benign. Without those fox ears, without the tail, he almost looked like an ordinary human. Save for the three whisker marks that still tripled each cheek, he was completely, utterly, normal. Then there was the leather choker fastened around his neck, and the rosary beads fastened tightly round its surface.

_Odd._

The chain had been broken yesterday. Of this much, Mizore was certain. Was it some kind of seal then, similair to Moka-san's? A rosario, then? For what possible reason would a kitsune_-and Naruto for that matter-_want to suppress his own power? What could possibly be the purpose, what was _the point_ of deliberately weakening oneself? But the most insane aspect of it all was the fact that he _didn't_ look weak. Even with that holy lock attached, youki energy poured from the boy, threatening to overwhelm her, should she show the slightest sign of weakness.

It was nothing short of incredible.

"Its a pleasure to meet all of you." Naruto bowed, his gaze flickering to the floor for a moment. "Please, take good care of me." Immediately he had every girl_-save for Tsukune's group-_swooning over him. Mizore felt as if he'd just reached inside her chest and squeezed her heart. And not in a good way. Suddenly, the temperature in the room plummeted, as if the brighty sunny sky outside had absloutely no bearing on the weather at all.

The thought of so many girls swooning over Naruto was_...unsettling._

"P-Please, s-sit wherever you'd like, Naruto-kun." Nekonome-sensei's usual purr instead emerged as a stammering stutter; because she and the rest of the class were forced to embrace the sudden chill caused by an irate Mizore. _Wait._ Why was she suddenly so possesive of him? She, who'd barely said so much as a words to the boy! Who was she, then, to be freezing her classmates over such a trivial matter as this?

Naruto smiled bedazzlingly, exposing sharper-than-normal canine teeth. He had her and she knew it. _Damnit. _She wanted to bitch and brood, though; she didn't want to cheer up and stop thinking about it. She wanted to figure it out. She wanted to figure it out; why it was that his smile bewitched her so, why the slightest sight of him took her breath away and left her gasping for more.

"Yes, ma'am." He bowed for a final time before choosing a seat.

Mizore didn't seem to know what to say.

Rather, she _couldn't_ say anything; because Naruto was approaching, coming toward her, claiming the seat behind her and taking it as his own. Just like that. Mizore wanted to say something to him. Anything, if it meant breaking this immutable thrall that the silence held over her. Instead she gulped, swallowed, and all the while her heart threatened to leap into her throat. This was too much. She couldn't take it. She _wanted_ to take it. She wanted _him_ to take _her_ and...and..._and-_

Mizore mercilessly severed that train of thought before it could degrade any further. Kami! He was sitting right behind her! He leaned forward in his seat, his breath was warm on the back of her neck; it felt like the gentle caress of a lover. Mizore shuddered. It was a pleasant one, despite all outward appearances. What was he going to say? Surely it had to be something of some importance, perhaps?

"You're looking well, Mizore."

His answer was so short and direct, Mizore almost didn't recognize his voice at first. It was very professional sounding-curt, but not self important. The words hit her like a physical blow. How could anyone be so submissive of themselves, and yet, at the same time, so confident. His was a look of one who had chosen their lot in the world, and quite possibly, wasn't quite content with that decision.

It took her breath away.

"O-Ohayo." Mizore managed at last, despite the scarlet flush that arose to her cheeks. "Na-Naruto-san." Somehow, the sight of him was even more magnificent than the last time. He was even more handsome now, despite his humanoid form.

"There's no need to be formal." He sighed, and she shivered. "Just Naruto, will do." She daren't turn in her seat. Not for fear of catching the teacher's eye, rather, she feared _his._ His was a bewitching gaze; and it was one that she had every right to fear. A girl could lose herself in those eyes. And, despite the fact that she hopelessly, desperately wanted to become lost in those twin pools of sapphiric blue, Mizore exercised restraint.

"Alright...Naruto-kun."

A dry chuckle emerged from the seat behind her.

"I see you've made a friend since we last met." Naruto spared a sidelong glance for Tsukune. "Do you want me to kill _him?"_He asked bluntly, his sapphiric gaze slipping to hers once more, his voice tumbling to a much, much lower pitch as he mumbled those words. He flexed the fingers of his right hand, claws emerging where there had once been human fingernails.

"W-What?" The words dribbled past her lips. "Why would you want to-

"He's made you cry once." Naruto interjected harshly, "Didn't he?" Mizore imagined a look of utter dispassion adjourning the features of her fellow ayashi. "Who is to say that he won't do so again, given the chance? Better to just put him out of your misery right now, I'd say."

_**"!"**_

An overpowering sensation of pressure bore down on Mizore like an invisible hand. She sensed something enormous nearby, silent in the dark, like a giant passing within arm's reach. A gravid, deadly prescence, too huge to grant her notice. She glanced to Naruto and saw him smirk, fingertips pressed against the hard wood of his desk. He'd do it, she realized. One word from her, and he'd kill Tsukune. He who'd first rejected her feelings. He who'd spurned her so. Mizore had but to nod, and he would perish.

_Unbelievable._

She'd never held power over life and death before. She'd never had anyone willing to kill for her, before. To be willing to go so far was...thrilling. Shirayuki Mizore had never felt like this before. It was wonderful, it was intoxicating, and it was absolutely terrifying.

Mizore blushed.

"Th-There's no need for that." She supplied weakly, the memory of her cliffside encounter thrusting itself to the fore once more. "I've...forgiven him." Truly, she had. It was no fault of Tsukune's for being unable to understand her, her sorrow. She knew this. Just by looking at him, and trio of beauties vying for his attention she could tell. Were she ever to indulge in her feelings for him, she'd have many a rival. And while Mizore was _more_ than willing to fight for the right to her beloved, couldn't she help but to wonder?

Tsukune was a friend. She knew this to be true. A true friend, perhaps. He'd extended his hand to her in her moment of need. He'd been the second one to understand her, after failing to do so beforehand. And despite that understanding, despite that forgiveness, that lack of recompense, he'd been the second. Naruto hadn't misunderstood. It had been perfect, it had been flawless, one lonely soul communing with another; he'd simply accepted her, and her grief, as one and the same.

And because of that, for that sole reason, if not anything else, Mizore felt_...jilted._

Was_ Tsukune _really capable of loving her? Did she even want him to?

Perhaps she'd have better luck with this one?

Mizore didn't want to hear this.

She didn't hear the rest of the teacher's lesson. She was too focused; her senses honed upon the brooding figure that sat at the desk behind her. Then, just as she'd begun to work up the courage to speak with him once more, the bell rang.

"A-Ano...

"Yes?" Naruto arched a slender eyebrow, utterly ignorant to ebb and flow of emotion within her breast.

_BBBRRIIING!_

Naruto moved.

He simply moved. One moment he'd been in the seat opposite her, then, it was vacant. She caught sight of him rounding the corner, directly after a certain student. She blinked after him for a moment longer, then gathered her books and followed him out the door.

**0o0o0**

"Aono Tsukune?"

"H-Hai?" The boy stiffened, managed a half turn, then froze. "O-Oh, Naruto-san. What's-**urk!"** He cried out as the taller blond hauled him around the corner and whipped him into the wall with all the force of a small comet. Tsukune felt something in his back give, but the vice over his mouth prevented anything short of a whimper from escaping. A small hiss escaped the lips of his captor as they parted to speak.

"We need to talk." Naruto smiled thinly, pulling his fellow student aside. "Oh yes, we need to talk, old buddy, old pal, we need to talk right _now."_ He clapped Tsukune on the back with the last syllable; to which the boy wheezed pitifully but otherwise remained upright. Naruto arched an eyebrow; he'd put quite a bit of power into that blow. That this Aono Tsukune was still standing testified to his fortitude, at least.

"It's about Mizore." Naruto's no-nonsense tone cut straight through the bullshit and struck at the meat of the matter.

"A-And how is that you know Mizore-san?" Tsukne spluttered weakly.

"Mizore is_...an acquaintance of mine."_ Came the jaded reply from Naruto. "You might even say her mental and physical well-being_...concerns me."_

"O-Oh, is that so?" Tsukune began sweating bullets. Not even an hour in and the new student was already picking a fight with him? Doomed! He was doomed!

Naruto patted Tsukune on the shoulder. He didn't let go. His grip turned bonecrushing, his claws finding purchase within surprisingly soft skin. It felt almost like a human skin, that was what his claws immediately told him. What manner of trickery was this? Surely Aono Tsukune wasn't a-

_"Tsukune?"_

Naruto looked over his shoulder, regarding the one who had interrupted them with light amusement. She was possibly the most beautiful girl in the room. A slender body with curves in all the right places, bright pink hair, and a skirt that was jud a tad too short a uniform just a bit too form-fitting; utterly unique, right down to the Rosario choker the likes of which draped itself around her neck; this was Moka Akashiya.

"Can I help you, vampire?" he inquired, his tone decidely frosty. He wasn't a fan of vampires. Not after the last one he'd met had tried to bash his skull in with a mace. Maybe Moka was different, maybe she wasn't. Regardless, the sight of a vampire, so soon after arriving on the academy grounds, had the kitsune feeling more than a little prickly at the moment.

Moka blinked, concern reflected in her eyes as well, once she saw exactly how close Naruto had gotten to Tsukune. His light, predatory grin did little to assauge her worries as well, though she held no animosity toward this stranger who leered at her as though she were devil itself. And why was he also wearing a rosario? Did that mean that his true from was sealed as well?

"I-I'll be fine, Moka-san." Despite having broken into a cold sweat, Tsukune put on a brave face. "G-Go on ahead, I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

Moka hesitated.

"R-Really, I'm alright." Tsukune waved weakly. "I...was just giving Naruto-san directions to the washroom." Naruto interjected a nod at that moment.

"You're sweet on her, aren't you?" Naruto's inquiry sounded genuine, somehow.

"N-Not at all!" Tsukune spluttered defesnively! "Why would I be-

Naruto squeezed.

_Not gently._

"Ah!" Tsukune yelped and squirmed within his captor's grip. "Alright, maybe! Possibly! Definitely!" Naruto relinquished his hold and allowed the boy to breath again and Aono let out a grateful sigh that was as short lived as its complexion. "But what does any of this have to do with Mizore-san?" he asked.

"Ah, thank you for reminding me." Naruto grinned. "This is about Mizore. Not that vampire girl who seems to be so very sweet on you as well. Can't you tell? No? Oh well, that isn't the reason I'm talking to you right now, buddy." Naruto had gone from amused to sorrowed, then outright deadpanned, all less than three panels. The abrupt change of mood was as eerie as it was disconcerting for our poor Tsukune-kun.

"Boundaries." Naruto began firmly. "Let's talk boundaries. And I'll make this perfectly obvious to you so we're clear: No-touchie-feelie-for-Tsukune." He smiled, the sing-song voice abruptly falling to the wayside seconds thereafter. "Oh, and don't think I won't catch you; because I will. I'm everywhere. I see everything in this school. And don't think for one free-frickin' second that I don't see what you're really up to, you little skirt-chaser."

"Eh?" Tsukune sweatdropped, appalled at such an accusation, yet secretly relieved that Naruto had missed the mark; his humanity. That, were it discovered by anyone else, it might mean the end of the world as he knew. He'd be put to death, of that he was was almost certainly certain. If this kitsune didn't kill him first, something else would. A raw and terrible panic in his chest; otherwise known as the threat of a heart attack, also known as death from fright.

"M-Mizore-san and I are only-

Naruto didn't give him the time to protest further.

"You made her cry, and for that, I have forgiven you, because she has forgiven you. But if you think you can touch her, if you violate her innocence in any way that I deem to be immoral or improper, I will rip your throat out. I will emasculate and eviscerate you, and then toss you over the highest mountain in the land; and then I will rejoice while I watch you plummet to your death. Are we clear on that part, Aono Tsukune-kun?" Throughout his speech, his smile hadn't faltered in the slightest. It was a eerie, bonechilling visage that he had adopted, smiling with both eyes closed as if he hadn't had the care in the world...

...while openly radiating killer intent.

"Y-Yessir." Tsukune swallowed nervously.

"Great!" Naruto laughed aloud.

Mizore had seen it all from her precarious perch outside the second story window. How she had gotten outside, scaled a tree, and found the proprer hallway windo remained to be seen, but what did matter, was that she had heard the entirety of their conversation. She'd especially enjoyed the blatant threat of Naruto's dialogue.

That was the Second Day that she began to understand Uzumaki Naruto.

**A/N: What can I say? I have a soft spot for these two. Also, some updates might become scarce for a bit, what with my new job starting in less than a week and consuming most of my day and such. **

**A/N (Continued): Alrighty! Time to answer questions and reply to all the fans!**

**asdf writes: NarutoxMizore...FINALY! Thank you! **

**You're welcome!**

** tha Mwahaha! Naruto in the Rosario Vampire universe! As you can tell, the pairing is predominately NarutoxMizore! ENJOY! And don't forget to review until my ears fall off! Although, being a skeleton, I have no ears...SKULL JOOOOKE! YOHOHOHO!**

**LOL ****ENJOY! **

**And don't forget to review until my ears fall off! Although, being a skeleton, I have no ears...SKULL JOOOOKE! YOHOHOHO!**


	3. First Kiss

**A/N: Ohayo! It's been quite some time since I last updated this one, hasn't it? In other news, my surgery has gone well and I'm finally starting to recover so with the last of my strength for today, I decided to provide you all a much needed update, as well as a little tease. Forgive the shortness and I hope you enjoy it! Also, in fair warning, a certain scene here is rated M so beware you have been warned!**

_You're the only one I want to be bound to..._

_~Mizore Shirayuki._

**_First Kiss_**

_"Naruto...you're the only one I want to be bound to." Mizore nuzzled her head into his neck and pressed her body against him, her reservations momentarily forgotten. "I want you, Naruto. I've always wanted you..._

_Then he said four incredibly wonderful words._

_"I love you, Mizore."_

_Mizore blinked, her eyes opening and closing within an infinite slowness. She took half a step forward, tears welling up; threatening to spill over the ledges of her eyes. The time had come, at long last, to profess her feelings to him. She opened her mouth to speak. She found nothing but a sob. A weak, desperately relieved. sob. And somehow it didn't matter to her; because the love of her life was standing before her, his eyes filled with so much love for that it was painful just to comprehend, let alone look at. It felt like her heart had been shattered and glued back together, only to be utterly eradicated all over again._

_The truth, his truth, was too much for her to bear. All this time, all this time, she'd kept her pent up feelings housed within her breast. She erected a dam around them, the words she could not, would not say to him. Now, that dam had been sundered. She could feel them leaking out; her emotions bursting through the walls of her heart and threatening to both envelop and consume her as one._

_"B-B-But the prophecy..._

_Naruto laughed; it was a deep, throaty sound._

_"Prophecy?" He scoffed, his sneer twisting into a soft smile. "I don't believe in any of that bullshit." He twisted, his legs tangling themselvs within her own, and suddenly their positions were reversed. Mizore found herself flung into the snow, her opened robe settling loosely about her quivering form, hanging loosely across her breasts. It took her a frozen eternity to understand what had just happened._

_"Naruto...kun-**!"**_

_His forehead kissed hers, softly, gently, just as it had so many months ago when they'd first met, when they'd first embraced. It was so very different now, and yet, very much the same as it had been back then. Just as before, Mizore felt his warm breath wafting the distance between them, warming her already flushed cheeks. She ached for him; her heart filling with a long so intense, so feverishly ferverous, that Mizore feared her body might tear itself apart if he so much as laid a hand on her._

_It was a risk she was willing-more than willing-to take._

_"Mizore." Deep and husky, his voice demanded her attention._

_"H-Hai?"_

_"Shut up." Naruto smiled._

_Then he lowered his lips to hers and their world fell away._

_'Did he just...is Naruto-kun actually..._

_Naruto cut her off with a kiss, his lips pressing against hers with the repressed passion of an eternity. Mizore froze, becoming like a stature in the embrace. Then she melted into his warmth. She immediately returned the action, her mouth moving on top of his with an equally, feverous desire. Wonderful, so incredibly wonderful. He regretted that he'd never kissed her earlier; her instant reaction to his kiss letting him know she'd been waiting, waiting for him to finally make a move. They remained locked together for what felt to Mizore like an eternity, her heart swelling within her chest as she tasted his tongue against hers._

_Then they had to breathe._

_He finally broke himself away from her, the anguish of the action striking painfully at his soul, knowing that this would be something painful, something terrible, something so wonderful that none of this even mattered anymore. Nothing but the trembling and quivering and sobbing woman in his arms. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at him; sapphire orbs welling up, growing large while she struggled to swim through thick emotions. He could feel his own cheeks heat up as warm streaks of water spilled down them, the tears slowly dripping from his chin._

_No words were given in that moment of solidarity; they would have soiled the flawlessness of this instant. Mute, she wriggled into his arms and stayed there. She let his warmth drive the cold from her skin, her soul, that slight dampness misting into her hair as he clung to her and she him. If he was at all affected by the bitter chill of the north, then he did little to show it..._

And then Mizore woke up.

Her eyes flew open, leaving her to realize that her sheets were soaked with sweat. She nearly wept. That dream had been wonderful. Marvelous. Stupendous. But in the end it was only just that. A dream. It had been seveal days since the incident and already it haunted her in her dreams, twisting them into sexual fantasies, one which she'd just had in her sleep. It was a constant torment for Mizore. A reminder of what she couldn't have, wouldn't have, unless she made a move soon.

She still remembered Naruto's words; that oh-so-subtle threatening mannerisms toward one Aono Tsukune after class. He'd been magnificent. Marvelous. He'd all but told the boy to keep his hands off of her. Her! Mizore Shirayuki! So intent had she been on his expression that she'd nearly missed the rest of his words, murmured beneath his breath as Tsukune, released from the Kitsune's grip, fled down the hall.

_"I won't let anyone hurt her."_

She remembered those words; because they'd sent a chill through her body. Although she was indeed a Yuki-Onna, Mizore had shuddered that afternoon. Not from the cold of her body, mind you. She'd shuddered for an entirely different reason altogether. Naruto-kun was...being protective. She'd never had anyone save her fellow yuki onna care for her well being. To have the object of her affections openly care for her, openly profess his willingness, his desire to protect her, was a thrill unlike any she'd ever known.

But the time for silent thrills was over, and Mizore needed to cleanse herself of the ecstasy of her dream.

With a small groan, she propped herself up on her elbows, dabbing at her forehead with a dry cloth. No good. Her wet dream had already wreaked its havoc; her bed soaked with sweat and other bodily fluids. Silently chastising herself, Mizore walked into the bathroom, to wash her fingers and face. Warmth warred with worry in her mind as she opened the sink and soaked the towel in the water, scrubbing at herself before the water froze under her hands.

Would he ever be hers? Would she one day be able to tell him how she truly felt? She hoped so. _Oh,_ how she hoped!

Because she was _tired_ of looking at herself like this.

She looked back at her reflection in the mirror… Her hair stuck to her flushed and humid skin, her lips were red as if she had been wearing lipstick, her eyes were glazed, pupils dilated. It was obvious she just had had an orgasm and only one thought resounded in her mind. "How revolting. You're sick." She muttered at the disheveled person starring back at her, disgust dripping from her voice. Mizore was a young. Most people thought of her still as a child.

And yet, by the standards of her people, she was already a woman. Soon she wouldn't be able to have children. And once that happened...no! She didn't want to think about it, she didn't want to even consider the possibility. She still had time. All the more important that she and Naruto do the deed before that time expired. Somewhere deep, she felt ashamed. She'd only just met him, and yet already she was head over heels.

It shouldn't be this way.

She wanted to take the time to get to know him better; to confirm with her body what her heart already knew to be true. She wanted to his one. His only. His betrothed. She wanted him to sweep her up into her arms and kiss her breathless; she wanted so many things from him and she couldn't have them and it made her weep. She needed him, she needed to tell him her feelings before her chance slipped away and some other student snatched him up.

Naruto, much like Aono Tsukune, had a fanbase all his own and Mizore wasn't the only girl jockeying for a spot in his heart. While this meant she had no competion from Moka or Kurumu or Yukari and the others, she still had her own share of potential rivals. And she wasn't going to lose to them. Absolutely not!

Time for drastic measures.

* * *

_"He said what?"_

Mizore nodded, red as a rose. For a Yuki-onna this was a very good thing. With their snow white skin they blushed very easily, allowing their true feelings to easily be seen. It was equal parts blessing and curse. Now, as she conveyed the words of Naruto's confrontation with Tsukune to her mother, _Mizore Shirayuki burned._ But it was a good burn it worked its way up from her toes to her legs and radiated in her hips; worming its way through her breasts before burrowing into her face.

Tsurara smiled softly.

"You're quite taken on him, aren't you?"

Mizored nodded shyly.

She could see that expression, her own, reflected in the eyes of her mother. Shortly after witnessing the event she'd sent word to her family, all but begging for her mother to come to Yokai Academy. And so she had come, offering her only daughter some much needed advice in the way of seducing men. A kitsune was fine catch, she said, but they were far more difficult to seduce, and when mated, they mated for life.

The news brought a surge of relief to Mizore's floundering heart. It offered an explanation as to why Naruto seemed so chaste in the matters of love. Naruto hadn't displayed _any_ interest in women, save her. They shared the same homeroom. They ate lunches together. They shared stories. He'd often come by her room when she least expected it, if not to chat, then simply to check on her well-being.

She'd watched him train-in secret-marveling at the flawlessness at his figure and at the same time cursing her hesitation; her reluctance to approach him while he trained. He never wore a shirt when he trained. Ever. She couldn't count the number of times she'd wanted to lay her hands on that flawless musculature; couldn't number the amount of days in which she'd hid behind a tree until he was finished_-until he was clothed!-_only to approach him with stammering and useless half-sentences.

Her mother laughed; it was a soft, tinkling sound, like wind chimes in an icy breeze.

"Such a charming young man...

"What should I do, mother?" Mizore asked, desperate to know how she might appeal to her beloved.

"He wears a rosario, much like your friend Moka's, does he not?"

Mizore thought about it.

"I believe so."

"Make him remove it." Tsurara smiled mysteriously. "It should be simple enough.

"But-

"Now now, mother knows best. Be sure and find him soon, my dear.

With that, she ushered her progeny out the door.

* * *

_(Yokai Gakuen Academy)_

As always, Mizore found Naruto in the middle of a brawl.

A fight had broken out in the middle of the hall, and a semicircle formed around it. With Naruto standing one on side and a faceless student on the other. She had no way of knowing what had been said, only that battles lines had been drawn and tempers crossed.

"You're just a first year!" His opponent, an unamed second-year student, snarled at the blond, "How dare you go against the Student Council!"

Naruto scoffed at him.

"And you, little fool, are just a pawn in the greater scheme of things." He made a dismissive gesture. "Begone. I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with you today, so I will give you one chance to leave with your head intact. Unless," He made a show of clacking his claws together. "You think you have what it takes?"

"Bastard!" The student roared, assuming his monster form. "I don't care if you're a kitsune! I'll destroy you!"

"Come then," Naruto beckoned, the gesture ripe with condescencion. "If you think you're up for the challange, little man."

The monster lunged at him, its claws tearing through the blonde's sleeve as it came tearing forward. Naruto stepped backward, allowing the blow to shear harmessly through the tile and slam into the floor, embedding itself beneath a ton of concrete. He slammed a boot down upon the boy's wrist and pinnioned him with a gaze. Sweet sapphire orbs gleamed like the grasp of winter as the kitsune reached a hand for his rosario.

_"You dissapoint me."_

With a violent tug, he removed it.

The effect was instantaneous.

Sapphire snapped into scarlet. White sclera blackened amidst a great gout of flame. Outer Naruto's humanity receded as a pair of kitsune-like ears and nine tails of furious fire wound their way into existence. Whisker marks deepening into furrows alongside either cheek, _Inner_ Naruto growled, exposing sharpened canines and a gorgeous white streak of a grin. With a flick of his hand the flames receded, revealing the kitsune's true self and form.

"_Ara?"_ He held the rosario in his hand a moment, and marveled at it. _"It seems my outer self has grown tired of your continued existence."_ He fixed his fellow student with the baleful glare of hellfire. "_Well, I suppose this would be a fine chance for me to converse with Mizore-chan...once I've finished with you, of course."_

"No! Wait!" The student pleaded, realizing his peril. "I take it back! Mercy!"

Inner Naruto reached for the flames. They came, joyfully.

**_"Know your place!"_**

His heel cracked along the side of the boy's face and sent him sprawling. He must have been sparring with Inner Moka, Mizore realized. She watched the hapless student twirl end over end, its forehead kissing the floor once, twice, three times before the torn tiles finally slowed its velocity. Slumping to the floor, the unruly second-year did not make an attempt to stand up. How very wise of him.

Inner Naruto chuckled softly.

_"One less fool in the world."_

The students stared a moment, gawping at this sudden display of power. Then they scattered like leaves in the wind. Mizore stiffened. Now! This was her chance! This was her opportunity to strike! With none of his fangirls around to haraunge them at every turn, she could finally discover his true feelings! She had only to speak to him. Slowly Mizore edged toward her favorite blond kitsune.

"Naruto-kun?" Mizore whispered softly

The blond sanpped his head around.

"Ah, Mizore." He grinned darkly. "I didn't see you there. What do you need?"

"I...um...

Mizore eyed his choker, suddenly aware of the rosario's abscence. So this was Naruto's true form. It was nothing at all like the subdued self that first embraced her. That look in his eyes was primal. Terrifying. Lacking inhibition of any sort. Was this why her Kaa-sama had wanted the rosario removed? She should be afraid of this Naruto. This was a true demon, a true monster, in every sense of the word. Overwhelming. Intoxicating. His very prescence threatened to drive her body mad with desire.

_"Speak up, now."_ Inner Naruto eyed her stoically, his hands in his pockets._ "Is there something you needed from me or not?"_

"Y-Yes!" Mizore spluttered out!

_"And that would be...?"_

And then she caught sight of a dash of crimson on his sleeve.

"You're bleeding!"

_"It's nothing."_ Inner Naruto said, only to wince as her fingers touched his hand. _"Ow! Alright, perhaps it is a **little **something."_

Despite herself, Mizore sniffled.

"It is something!" She wasn't speaking of his injury, but of her feelings for him. He couldn't just dismiss them as nothing! He couldn't! She didn't like this Inner Naruto after all or at all! She hated him! He wasn't kind, he wasn't soft, he was rude, belligerent, crass and violent! Not at all like the Naruto she'd fallen in love with! Not at all-

_"Oh, for pity's sake."_ He sighed. _"Don't cry, Mizore. Come here."_ He pulled her toward him and embraced her. Mizore did not resist. She didn't want to resist. She felt warmth seeping into her core, warmth from his arms and his flesh, paining her driving away the perpetual chill in her bones. Despite this twinge of pain, Mizore clung to him. She held tight to him, grasping at the lappels of his jacket as though she would sink without him.

She wanted to stay like this forever. To be enscorcelled in the mire of his embrace and never let him go. She fought back a smally cry when he shifted against her; his body a moving incarnation of her opposing element. The flames flecking his form dimmed abruptly, as he took a hand away from her waist, and brought it up to her chin. Mizore was too frightened to resist. Her heart thudded at a crazy rhythm.

"Naruto...kun?"

Naruto said nothing. He finished staring at his leisure, then dipped toward her, coming very close, close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her face. He leaned in so close he was almost kissing her. "Is there a problem, Mizore-chan?" The words whispered against her lips. His eyes looked dark, haunted. Her heart pounded at a crazy rhythm. Her body softened and her lips parted. For an awful, wonderful moment she thought his lips would touch hers. She was almost certain he would pull away; that he would leave her here, standing and hoping for more.

And then Inner Naruto did the unexpected.

He kissed her.

Her eyes shot open in surprise; his kiss was warm but gentle, his two lips caging her upper lip between them. Mizore wanted to weep, to laugh and cry in joyful glee, but she was completely overwhelmed by him as he released her wrist and cupped her cheek with his hand. She soon found herself returning the kiss, deepening it as she opened her mouth and slid her tongue out and against his. She reached upwards with her arms and wrapped them around his neck as she pulled his body closer to hers.

Naruto swept Mizore into his arms and kissed her with a burning intensity.

That was the third day, a day in which she truly began to _truly_ understand the kitsune that was Uzumaki Naruto.

**A/N: What can I say? I have a soft spot for these two. ****Mwahaha! Naruto in the Rosario Vampire universe! As you can tell, the pairing is predominately NarutoxMizore! ENJOY! And don't forget to review until my ears fall off! Although, being a skeleton, I have no ears...SKULL JOOOOKE! YOHOHOHO!**

**LOL ****ENJOY! **

**And don't forget to review until my ears fall off! Although, being a skeleton, I have no ears...SKULL JOOOOKE! YOHOHOHO!**

**R&R! =D**


End file.
